Hebrew olah; i.e., “ascending,” the whole being consumed by
fire, and regarded as ascending to God while being consumed.
Part of every offering was burnt in the sacred fire, but this
was wholly burnt, a “whole burnt offering.” It was the most
frequent form of sacrifice, and apparently the only one
mentioned in the book of Genesis. Such were the sacrifices
offered by Abel (Gen. 4:3, 4, here called minhah; i.e., “a
gift”), Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (Gen. 22:2, 7, 8, 13), and by
the Hebrews in Egypt (Ex. 10:25).

The law of Moses afterwards prescribed the occasions and the
manner in which burnt sacrifices were to be offered. There were
“the continual burnt offering” (Ex. 29:38-42; Lev. 6:9-13), “the
burnt offering of every sabbath,” which was double the daily one
(Num. 28:9, 10), “the burnt offering of every month” (28:11-15),
the offerings at the Passover (19-23), at Pentecost (Lev. 23:16), the feast of Trumpets (23:23-25), and on the day of
Atonement (Lev. 16).

On other occasions special sacrifices were offered, as at the
consecration of Aaron (Ex. 29) and the dedication of the temple
(1 Kings 8:5, 62-64).

Free-will burnt offerings were also permitted (Lev. 1:13), and
were offered at the accession of Solomon to the throne (1 Chr. 29:21), and at the reformation brought about by Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29: 31-35).

These offerings signified the complete dedication of the
offerers unto God. This is referred to in Rom. 12:1. (See
ALTAR,
SACRIFICE.)